The Essay An essay is a short piece of writing that discusses, describes or analyzes one topic. It can discuss a subject directly or indirectly, seriously or humorously. It can describe personal opinions, or just report information. An essay can be written from any perspective, but essays are most commonly written in the first person (I), or third person (subjects that can be substituted with the he, she, it, or they pronouns). There are many different kinds of essays. The following are a some of the most common ones:

Types of Essays A descriptive essay could describe . . . * a tree in my backyard; * a visit to the children's ward of a hospital; * a hot fudge sundae; * what an athlete did in order to make it to the Olympics. The descriptive essay provides details about how something looks, feels, tastes, smells, makes one feel, or sounds. It can also describe what something is, or how something happened. These essays generally use a lot of sensory details. The essay could be a list-like description that provides point by point details. Or, it could function as a story, keeping the reader interested in the plot and theme of the event described.

Types of Essays A definition essay may try and define . . . * the meaning of an abstract concept, like love; * the true meaning and importance of honesty; * how the meaning of family goes deeper than just your blood relatives. A definition essay attempts to define a specific term. It could try to pin down the meaning of a specific word, or define an abstract concept. The analysis goes deeper than a simple dictionary definition; it should attempt to explain why the term is defined as such. It could define the term directly, giving no information other than the explanation of the term. Or, it could imply the definition of the term, telling a story that requires the reader to infer the meaning.

Types of Essays A compare/contrast essay may discuss . . . * the likenesses and differences between two places, like New York City and Los Angeles; * the similarities and differences between two religions, like Christianity and Judaism; * two people, like my brother and myself. The compare/contrast essay discusses the similarities and differences between two things, people, concepts, places, etc. The essay could be an unbiased discussion, or an attempt to convince the reader of the benefits of one thing, person, or concept. It could also be written simply to entertain the reader, or to arrive at an insight into human nature. The essay could discuss both similarities and differences, or it could just focus on one or the other. A comparison essay usually discusses the similarities between two things, while the contrast essay discusses the differences.

Types of Essays An argumentative essay may persuade a reader that . . . * he or she should use public transportation instead of driving. * cats are better than dogs. An argumentative essay is one that attempts to persuade the reader to the writer's point of view. The writer can either be serious or funny, but always tries to convince the reader of the validity of his or her opinion. The essay may argue openly, or it may attempt to subtly persuade the reader by using irony or sarcasm.

Types of Essays A critical essay may analyze . . . * how Shakespeare presents the character, Othello, in his play, Othello; * the strengths and weaknesses of the movie, Children of a Lesser God; * the use of color in Monet's painting, Sunflowers. A critical essay analyzes the strengths, weaknesses and methods of someone else's work. Generally, these essays: A. begin with a brief overview of the main points of the text, movie, or piece of art, B. followed by an analysis of the work's meaning, C. discuss how well the author/creator accomplishes his/her goals and makes his/her points. A critical essay can be written about another essay, story, book, poem, movie, or work of art.

Planning Your Essay Freewriting - Let you fingers fly. Categories and Clusters - How do your ideas relate? Pre-draft Outlines - Getting your project into shape Find the Key Words - Figure out the purpose of your assignment Listing - Roll call for ideas Reporters' Questions - Who, What, Where, When and Why? Define Your Audience - Who are you talking to?

The Introduction Some people find it easiest to write the introduction after they've written the body of the essay. Others write the introduction first to figure out where they are headed. Whichever way works best for you, it will probably take a few drafts to get the introduction the way you want it. You will also find that introductions vary in length. They can be very short — only a compelling couple of sentences. Or, they can be quite long — a few paragraphs or more. In the introduction, you will usually: Explain your main idea and signal what's ahead. Include background information and provide context. Engage your reader.

The Thesis Statement The main idea, or thesis, should give your readers a clear and specific idea of your topic. •The main idea should also include some opinion about the topic. •The main idea can be thought of as a one or two sentence summary of the whole writing project. •It is often a good idea to state your main idea early on.

Drafting Your Essay Step 1 Develop your main idea Step 2 Consider your audience Step 3 Discover your strategy using key words Step 4 Generate ideas by asking questions Step 5 Write a draft Step 6 Break your draft into parts Step 7 Write your topic sentences Step 8 Organize: connect and arrange your sections Step 9 Support your ideas: facts, examples, details, and more Step 10 Work on your paragraph structure Step 11 Write or rewrite your thesis Step 12 Write your introduction Step 13 Write your conclusion Step 14 Revise your full draft

Revising Your Essay Have you clearly stated an effective main idea, or thesis? What is it? Have you followed the instructions and answered the assignment completely? Have you backed up your points with examples? Are there vague statements and/or descriptions that could be clarified with more details? Have you provided connections, or transitions, to help the reader move from one idea to the next? Have you written an introduction? Does the introduction establish the topic and catch your readers' attention? Have you written a conclusion? Does the conclusion give the reader the feeling that your discussion is completed?

Argumentative Essay People are not homeless because they are physically disabled, mentally ill, abusers of alcohol or other drugs, or unemployed. However destructive and relevant these conditions may be, they do not explain homelessness; most physically disabled people, most mentally iII people, most alcoholics and drug addicts, and most unemployed persons do have places to live. Moreover, when mentally ill or physically disabled or alcoholic homeless persons do get a place to live, they are no longer homeless but they remain, as they were before, physically or mentally disabled, drug addicts, or whatever. Clearly, then, there is no necessary connection between these conditions and homelessness. Homeless people are homeless because they do not have a place to live. — From Tell Them Who I Am: The Lives of Homeless Women by Elliot Liebow. What is your opinion of Liebow's argument? Are you persuaded of its validity? Does your own experience support his conclusions? In your essay, write a critique of his position. Write at least a 4 paragraph essay (Introduction, 2 Supporting and Conclusion).

Critique Essay On any person who desires such queer prizes, New York will bestow the gift of loneliness and the gift of privacy. It is this largess that accounts for the presence within the city's walls of a considerable section of the population; for the residents of Manhattan are to a large extent strangers who have pulled up stakes somewhere and come to town, seeking sanctuary or fulfillment or some greater or lesser grail. —from Here is New York ©1949 by E.B. White Take a position on the point made by White. Critique his comments and support your stance with examples from the text. Write a 5 paragraph essay (intro, 3 support, conclusion)